Say You Love Me
by Devil'sAngelicConscious
Summary: Cloud has been in love with Zack since they were both kids, but hasn't been able to confess because of Zack's feelings for Aerith. After an accident causes Zack memories of Aerith to disappear, Cloud feels he finally has a chance to confess his love.
1. Promise

**A/N: **I found this story (literally) buried under my school books from 6th grade when I was cleaning my room ( yeah I don't clean much...) and decided to finish it.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own FF7 or any of its characters

**Summary:** Cloud has been in love with Zack since they were both kids, but hasn't been able to confess because of Zack's feelings for Aerith. After an accident causes Zack memories of Aerith to disappear Cloud feels he finally has a chance to confess his love. Will he confess or will Aerith's sudden arrival cause him to back down?

**Rated M for: **Yaoi, Character death, Violence, etc.

* * *

"_Zack! Cloud! Come look at this!" A cheerful voice called out, catching the attention of a small raven-haired boy and a young blonde who were inspecting a dust covered window depicting the goddess Shiva._

_They carefully made their way to the front of the room, being careful not to trip over the worn and tattered books labeled 'Bible' that littered the floor. The full moon's light shone through a large hole in the ceiling, reflecting off a large patch of white flowers blooming at the center of the room. _

"_Over here!" A small brunette sitting off to the side motioned them over, a smile playing at her lips. They joined her, taking a seat on an old pew and listening as it groaned in protest at the newly added weight. _

"_Aren't they beautiful?" She asked in a whisper, watching the flowers sway in the midnight breeze. Her eyelids drooped dreamily as she took in the fairytale-like scene before her._

"_Yeah," The raven-haired boy replied in awe._

_"I thought flowers couldn't grow in Midgar," The blonde added, confused._

_Zack pondered on this surprising discovery when a stifled giggle caught his attention. He looked at his companion whose shoulders were shaking with suppressed giggles. He glanced at Cloud whose face mirrored his own concern for their friend._

"_Aerith?" _

_Her giggles increased in volume as she broke out in a fit of laughter as she realized the irony of the scene before them. Zack and Cloud, however, stared at her in confusion and worry. They couldn't help but wonder if the brunette was right in the head._

"_Very ironic don't you think?" she asked, wiping the tears from her eyes, "The fact that these flowers are growing in an old church?"_

_He thought about it for a bit, his eyes lighting up in amusement as Cloud nodded in agreement._

"_Yeah, you're right!" He replied, a large grin adorning his features. He chuckled slightly, not noticing when Aerith's smile slowly disappeared. A silent sniffle brought Zack out of his happy daze. He noticed the silent tears creep down her rosy cheeks. The raven- haired boy scooted closer to her, pulling her into an awkward one-armed hug, as she silently cried. Zack looked to Cloud with pleading eyes. The blonde, catching the hint, got up and went over to the patch of flowers, leaving the two alone._

"_Hey, don't cry!" He ran his thumb over her cheeks, catching the stray tears as they fell, "Your eyes will get all puffy!"_

_Her sobs subsided into small hiccups while Zack continued to comfort her. He and Cloud were sad about this unexpected outcome as well, but they wanted to stay strong for Aerith. He fidgeted a little before reaching into his pocket to pull out a large, pink ribbon. He stood and turned towards her waiting until Cloud was standing next to him with his own present, a necklace with a small spherical crystal that glowed a brilliant white._

"_Hey, Aerith," he began softly, waiting until she looked at him to continue. When she did, they presented the gifts to her, a large grin on each of their faces, "Happy Birthday!"_

_The brunette looked from the presents to the two boys with a mixture of surprise and confusion. _

"_Well I know your birthday's not until next week, but I figured since you were moving and all…" Zack began to laugh nervously while scratching his head as Cloud's usually pale cheeks burned a bright red._

_Relief washed over them as they watched Aerith laugh, all traces of sadness gone. Zack liked the sound of her laughter even more than he liked her sense of humor. They waited until she was finished before helping her put on her new ribbon and necklace. She smiled in thanks and rolled the white crystal between her fingers as another breeze caused the flowers to dance under the moonlight. Zack and Cloud looked at each other for a moment, both of them silently urging the other to say what was on both of their minds. Zack decided to start._

"…_letters…" he muttered earning a glare from the blonde._

_Aerith looked up at Zack._

"_What?" she asked unsure if he had spoken or not._

"_We promise to write you lots of letters," Cloud stated, a small smile on his face, "So you do the same, okay?"_

_She remained silent for a moment looking up at the two boys who had always taken her on their wild adventures, regardless of her being a girl, and smiled at them both. Zack blushed averting his eyes from her dazzling smile while Cloud smiled softly in return. _

"_Promise?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with happiness causing The two boys to look at one another, a large smile on their faces._

"_Yeah…" they both replied, grinning at her, " We promise."_


	2. Crazy Friends and Embarrassing Memories

**A/N:** Here's chapter two! Honestly I didn't think I would finish it so fast, but oh well. Also this fic is AR. If I didn't mention this in my previous chapter, I apologize *bows* Any OC characters belong entirely to me. R&R plz!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any FF7 characters so don't sue plz! Thnx!

* * *

**5 Years Later...**

* * *

"Zack…"

Zack fair grumbled a bit before burrowing his face deeper within his crossed arms. Cloud sighed a bit, running a hand through his blond spikes, and sat down across from the teen. After school activities had ended twenty minutes ago and he had been trying to wake the raven-haired teen with no success. He looked at the sleeping teen and smiled. Zack had been working late again at his part-time job and Cloud wondered how he was even able to make exceptional grades with all that was going on in his life. The classroom door opened with a loud crash, scaring the young blond and waking Zack in the process. A smiling, black-haired girl skipped into the room accompanied by an aloof looking, silver-haired boy.

"What the hell, Yuffie?" Zack shouted in shock as the young girl made her way over to his desk, leaving her silent companion to inspect the door, " Can't you enter a room like a normal person?"

"What are you talking about? I do!" she chimed back, a large smile plastered on her face. She hopped onto his desk, ignoring the raven-haired teen's grumbled curses, " Maybe if you didn't sleep so much, you wouldn't be surprised whenever I enter the room. Besides Cloud obviously wasn't scared, right?"

Cloud opened his mouth to speak when a high whistle came from the forgotten companion, stopping him.

"Yuffie," he began looking at her in amusement, " There's a large hole where the doorknob hit the wall."

"What? No way?" she screamed running over to the door to take a look, " Aw man!"

Zack laughed, his mood improved at the sight of the distressed girl while Cloud shook his head in sympathy.

"Hojo Sensei is going to kill you when he finds out what you did to his wall," the aloof boy murmured making the distraught teen cover her ears.

"No…he's not…because that hole was there when we got here, right Cait?"

Cait looked at her incredulously, " You're kidding, right?"

Yuffie's eyes narrowed in warning, " Cloud, you and Zack can say that some student just had a minor accident when he was leaving the class, ne?"

"You call this minor?" Cait snorted, earning a sharp kick from the petite brunette, "OUCH!"

"Anyway! We're still hitting the club this weekend, right?" she asked, pulling out a pack of Kit Kat Bars before returning to her spot on Zack's desk, much to his dismay, "I already invited Tifa and Elly, but Rufus said he had better things to do than watch the rest of us get drunk. Kit Kat?"

"Reno, Rude and Elena are coming as well," Cloud added grabbing a few of the chocolate snacks, "what about you, Zack?"

"I managed to convince Sephiroth to come, but…" Zack trailed off, grabbing Cloud's Kit Kat filled hand and taking a bite of the first two. The blond blushed deeply averting his eyes asYuffie silently snickered.

"But, what?" Cait asked, oblivious of the blushing blond.

"I'm not sure if he'll stay the whole night through."

Yuffie and Cloud nodded in understanding. They both knew that the silver-haired male hated to be bothered by troublesome things and for Zack to convince him to go must have took a lot of begging. Then again, the only reason Sephiroth would agree to go in the first place would be to stop the raven-haired teens annoying begging.

"I asked Red, but he said he had cram school," Cait stated glumly. The three looked at Cait, noting his far off look and disappointed scowl. Cloud glanced at Yuffie, watching the emotions pass over her face. Confusion changed to suspicion which changed to realization. The boys covered their ears as the brunette's ear-splitting scream of excitement rang out around the room.

"No way! You guys are dating?"

Cait blushed furiously as the petite teen began bombarding him with questions consisting of when and where the silver-haired boy confessed to the older male. While Cait was being interrogated, Cloud turned his attention back to Zack, who had managed to eat all but one of his share of Kit Kats.

"Zack!"

"Heh heh, sorry," he scratched his head nervously while grinning lopsidedly, "I didn't eat breakfast and I slept through lunch."

Cloud thought about it, realizing that the raven-haired teen was probably right. He looked tired to the blond and Cloud wondered just how long he had been working overtime.

"If that's the case then you can stay over at my house tonight. Your uncle is out of town, right?" he asked blushing a bit as he ate the last Kit Kat, " Me and my parents are celebrating on account of my dad's promotion so-"

"You mean a party?" Yuffie jumped in, much to Cait's relief, "Can I come?"

"Why should you come?" Zack asked, "All your going to do is eat and leave!"

"Moocher…" Cait mumbled, absentmindedly. The petite teen quickly grabbed him, putting him in a tight headlock.

"What was that? You calling me a moocher?" she asked angrily as the silver-haired teen gasped for air.

"Can't…breathe…" he groaned pitifully. She only tightened her grip disregarding the rapidly changing color of his face before a sharp pain in her arm caused her to let go. The silver-haired boy caught his breath and, realizing what he had done, quickly ran from the room.

"OUCH! Cait you little bastard! Wait 'til I get my hands on you!" she screamed running after him before briefly stopping at the door, "See you guys later! Don't forget about this weekend!"

Zack and cloud stared at the classroom door as Yuffie's screams of revenge faded down the corridors. The two looked at each other before bursting into laughter. Their friends were very strange, but that what made them so much fun to be with. The two couldn't even imagine what kind of dull life they would have had if they hadn't met Yuffie and the gang.

"Then," Zack began after a while, "Shall we go?"

"Yeah," The blond replied, smiling slightly.

* * *

When the two finally reached Cloud's home, they were greeted by the smell of cooking vegetables and the sound of the blond's parents laughing. They removed their shoes and made their way to the kitchen, the laughter increasing in volume as they got closer.

"I'm home!" Cloud called out, "And I brought Zack with me!"

"Welcome home Cloud!" His mom replied exiting the kitchen. No matter how many times he saw her, Zack could never get over how alike they looked. Their Cerulean blue eyes were exactly the same and they both shone with an intensity that made the raven-haired teen get caught up in them. Both of them were blond, the only difference being Cloud's youthful and bright blond hair compared to his mothers slightly duller blonde

which was pulled back into a loose ponytail. She carried a small grey kitten that was happily suckling on the warmed milk provided for him in the bottle she carried in her free hand. " Your just in time too! Your father just started cooking. Why don't you two go and see if he needs help?"

"Zack's a guest, mom." Cloud told her, moving to rub the kitten's chin, " Don't worry, Zack. I'll take care of it. Why don't you two catch up? It's been a while since you've come to stay with us after all."

Mrs. Strife watched her son disappear into the kitchen with a small smile before sitting in her husband's armchair, "So, Zack, Cloud tells me your Uncle is on a business trip."

"Yes ma'am, he is." Zack answered taking a seat on the brown, leather couch, "He's supposed to be coming home soon, but I don't know when exactly."

The raven-haired teen's eyes drifted to the little kitten that now lay curled up in Mrs. Strife's arms, the slow rise and fall of his tiny chest indicating his deep sleep. Mrs. Strife's brow creased in worry as she looked at Zack, noticing for the first time how tired he looked. She shook her head slightly, wondering if Zack had been getting any rest since Angeal left, when a thought entered her mind.

"How is Aerith?" She asked hesitantly. She watched as the tired look in his eyes was replaced by excitement. The blond woman knew that Zack and Aerith were very close and that, ever since the brunette moved away, the raven-haired teen had been writing her letters non-stop. She had also noticed how Cloud would write to the young brunette less and less as time went by, before he stopped sending letters all together. She sometimes wondered if her son disliked Aerith.

"She's doing great, actually." The teen replied happily, pulling Mrs. Strife from her daze, "In her recent letter, she talked about how her and her mother were planning to open up a flower shop! Apparently, the townspeople have a festival revolving around flowers every spring."

"A flower festival? That sounds very interesting." She replied after a moment, pleased to see the teen so happy.

The two looked up when Cloud re-entered the room groaning. The sound of Mr. Strife's happy squealing drifted in with him before the swinging door swung shut, muffling the sound. Cloud took a seat on the other side of the couch, his head in his hands, as his groaning and mental cursing continued.

"Cloud? What's wrong?" Mrs. Strife asked, noticing how red her son's cheeks were. Mr. Strife entered the room before Cloud had a chance to answer, carrying a large blue book in his hands. His Dirty blonde hair fell in long tresses, framing his face. His brown eyes twinkled in amusement as his son anxiously eyed the blue book as if it were his worst nightmare come true.

"Honey! Guess what I found at the back of the pantry!" He held up the book as Mrs. Strife worry turned to excitement. Mr. Strife sat in between his son and his friend opening the book to the first page, "It's Cloud's baby book!"

"Dad, please don't! It's embarrassing!" Cloud cried, noticing Zack staring curiously at the blue abomination his father created.

"Nonsense!" His father replied, smiling as he turned the page, "Oh! The best one is first!"

He turned towards Zack and showed him the picture. A young blonde around the age of six stared back with a scowl on his face. Zack bit back his laughter as he read the label under the picture.

'_Cloud as Cinderella'_

"Isn't he adorable?" Mr. Strife asked, not noticing when Zack's shoulders began to shake uncontrollably as he tried to hold back his laughter. Mrs. Strife sat silently in the armchair, clearly enjoying the scene unfolding before her.

Cloud blushed a deeper red as his father rambled on about how the blond had finally agreed to wear the plastic glass slippers with the dress after much pleading. He couldn't believe that his father was showing Zack his most embarrassing memories. By the time his father had gotten to _'The Christmas Incident'_, the blond was wondering what kind of gasoline would burn the book the fastest. He glanced at Zack, who was now wiping away the tears that had managed to spring forth. Cloud turned to his mom, silently pleading for her to stop his embarrassing father. Mrs. Strife, catching the hint, stood and placed the kitten on the seat before walking over to the three and taking the book.

"If we don't hurry, dinner will get cold, dear." She told him smiling sweetly.

"I almost forgot!" He replied, remembering the forgotten meal, "Well everyone, let's go eat!"

* * *

Zack was still laughing after Cloud had returned from his shower. Apparently, Cloud's childhood nightmares were an amusing thing for the teen. He twisted his now damp towel before abruptly smacking the raven-haired teen with it, causing him to yelp in pain.

"What was that for?" He cried, rubbing the reddening mark on his arm. He flinched back when the blond jabbed a finger in his face.

"If you tell **_anyone _**what you were shown today, so help me Zack, I will shave you bald and strangle you with your own hair!" Cloud harshly whispered in warning.

Zack held up his hands in surrender while grinning, "Whoa! No need to go that far, Spike.I won't tell anyone!"

The blond glared at him a bit longer before crawling into bed, his back turned towards the still grinning teen. He couldn't believe that Zack now knew about the embarrassing pictures that his father treasured so much. Zack turned off the light and the room was plunged into darkness. Cloud closed his eyes, ready to have pleasant dreams about burning the bane of his existence when the rustle of covers and sinking of his mattress came to his attention. He snapped his eye open and sat up.

"What the hell, Zack? Why are you in my bed?" He blushed deeply, staring at the teen as he made himself comfortable.

"I don't like the floor. It's too hard." He replied sleepily before turning over to look at the blond with tired and pitiful puppy eyes, "Besides, you've got a really big bed, so it won't even matter if I'm in it, right?"

Cloud stared at him for a bit, pondering whether he should leave Zack be or kick him off the bed. Finally, he sighed in defeat and laid back as the raven-haired teen smiled in victory. After what seemed like hours later, the teen's soft snores were the only thing that could be heard in the room. Cloud was still awake, unable to sleep with Zack so close to him. He turned over to face the sleeping teen. His spiky black hair fanned across the pillow as he turned slightly in his sleep. Cloud grabbed one of the spike and rubbed it, surprised by how soft if felt. His fingers trailed up the lock of hair to Zack's temple, which pulsed to the rhythm of his heartbeat, and lightly down his cheek before stopping at his slightly parted lips. Cloud stared at the teen's lips which looked pale under the partial light from the moon outside his window. He licked his own suddenly dry lips and slowly closed his eyes as he leaned in closer to the snoring teen and placed a soft but chaste kiss on his parted lips. He pulled back opening his eyes, only to freeze when he was met with a cerulean stare.

"Uh..." Cloud blushed, hastily trying to think of what to say when an inaudible mumbling caught his attention, "Eh?"

He watched as the raven-haired teen sat up and left the bed. The blond sat up himself watching as Zack fumbled around for the doorknob and, after finding it, opening the door and disappearing down the hall. Cloud stared at the open door in confusion and fear. Was Zack awake when he kissed him? What if he called him a disgusting queer? What if he didn't talk to him anymore? Cloud pondered on what to do when the faint sound of a flushing toilet caught his attention. He listened carefully, hearing the sound of the bathroom faucet, turn on then off, and the sound of footsteps heading back down the hall. When Zack's silhouette appeared in the doorway, the blond looked away and waited for the hurtful words, but they didn't come. He turned back just in time to see the raven-haired teen get back in bed and return to his slumber.

Cloud sat there in astonishment and relief as the soft snores once again filled the silent room. He laid down borrowing himself under his comforter as his cheeks burned in embarrassment and shame. What would he have done if Zack was fully awake at the time? The blond quickly shook his head, pushing the thoughts from his mind before deciding to finally get some rest. He was, for once, glad that Zack had low blood pressure. It meant he would be too groggy to remember and Cloud would get off scot-free.

* * *

**A/N: **Finished with chapter 2! The story begins to roll! I don't know how you viewers feel about Cait Sith, but I kind of liked him! I mean besides the betraying and stuff, he was a really nice guy! Anyways~! PLz Review! Constructive Criticism is accepted ( It helps me correct my faults ^.^)! Also, no flaming plz! this is my first ever fic and I don't want my self-esteem taking a beating right off the bat!


	3. A third wheel?

**A/N: **I apologize for the fact that it has taken me a while to upload, but I had a very hard time with the first few weeks of school (not to mention the multiple projects they threw at me. I still haven't finished 2 out of the 5 different projects.) Please don't lynch meh!

**Disclaimer: **Trust me if I owned FF, Zack would've never died! =(

* * *

"W-Wait, Nanaki! I have to get ready for school!" Cait cried as he was lifted onto the kitchen table, his lover plainly ignoring his protests. The redhead had ambushed him in the hallway and cornered him in the kitchen, somehow managing to pull off his pajama bottoms and tying his hands along the way . Nanaki nipped the younger teen's collarbone harshly before licking it in apology.

"Call in sick…." he replied briefly, dipping his tongue into the silver-haired teen's navel. He had finally finished his report for cram school and nothing was going to stop him from ravaging his little kitten. Cait inhaled sharply as the wet appendage slowly trailed down his bare flesh.

"Nanaki, seriously! I have Hojo's class today and I don't- Ahh!" Cait gasped and arched, his head falling back to hit the table suddenly at the heated suction that enveloped his cock. It had been a while since his lover had gone down on him and, the silver-haired teen had to admit, it felt so _good_. He moaned and spread his quivering legs as the suctions grew more ardent. His hips began to buck and his breathing shortened as the heat began to pool within his stomach, when a loud banging sounded from the front door.

"Shit!" the read-haired teen moved from his spot between Cait's legs, the tied up teen whimpering in protest. He hurried over to the door, muttering curses as he quickly unlocked it and opened it partially, revealing the smiling brunette on the other side. Cloud and Zack were behind her, both of them caught up in some kind of heated conversation Nanaki could care less about. He was more concerned about the still whimpering teen on the kitchen table. "Yuffie", he growled angrily as said brunette's smile turned into a scowl, " What do you want?"

"Don't growl at me, jackass", she huffed pushing passed him followed by the other two, " We came to pick up Cait. Is he ready yet?"

"He's not going to school today", he replied noting that his lover's whimpers had stopped, "He's...sick..."

"Funny", she muttered, watching as Zack sulkily sat on the couch and Cloud angrily plop down as far away from the raven-haired teen as possible, "He looked completely fine yesterday."

Nanaki sighed, annoyed at the little brat's constant pestering. For as long as he had known her, Yuffie had been a giant obstacle in his relationship with Cait. At times, the redhead caught himself planning the loud teen's ultimate demise and making it look like an accident. His eyes, which had been watching said teen closely, narrowed when she made a beeline for the kitchen.

"Well, I hope you don't mind us waiting for-", She stopped suddenly, her hand on the kitchen's swinging door, her eyes wide as they landed on the small silver-haired uke. He lay tied to the kitchen's old oak table, naked and cheeks burning with embarassment. They locked eyes for a brief moment, hers twinkling at this interesting sight and his growing large with horror. She turned around and let the kitchen door close behind her, a huge smile plastered on her face, as she clapped her hands together in glee.

"I totally forgot! Cait has self study today so he said he wasn't coming!", she cried softly hitting herself on the head, "My mistake! Cloud! Zack! Let's go or we'll be late!" Cloud and Zack looked at her with shared expressions of confusion as she ushered them out of the apartment.

"Sorry for _disturbing _you!" Nanaki watched them head to Yuffie's yellow camaro, a smirk plastered to his face as he relished this rare moment when Yuffie knew that she should leave. Rare because he hardly had anytime to himself before another assignment was thrown at him. He imagined his lover, who was probably very pissed right now, still tied to the table. He closed the door and headed back to the kitchen, planning to get his sulking silver-haired teen back in the mood.

* * *

"What the hell Yuffie?" Cloud replied after Yuffie's disturbing giggles had quieted down. She was still smiling, though, and that made the blonde question his friend's sanity. She had practically yanked them out of Cait and Red's house without even explaining why. Zack hadn't bothered to say anything at all, on account of the fact that Cloud was still angry at him for walking in on the blonde bathing that morning. He glanced over at the blonde who was now staring out the window, ignoring Yuffie's continuous giggles as she recalled the scene that had graced her retinas. Cait had been tied to the kitchen table. _Naked_. The boy had looked up at Yuffie the moment she entered the room and he had turned beet red as her astonished look became a knowing smile. Now she knew why Red had been more annoyed than usual. They had walked in on the two when they were in the middle of having their lovely "smex session" as Yuffie liked to call it_._

She closed her eyes and giggled as a blush began to form. Her lecherous mind was beginning to stray further into the realm of gay fandom. "Yuffie! Watch the road!" She opened her eyes and qucikly swerved right, barely missing the oncoming car that was now blaring it's horn angrily at her. She flipped him off with a smile, returning her attention to the road. Cloud released the breath he was holding before glancing back at Zack, who was now trying his best to meld with the leather seat. They locked gazes for a moment before turning to Yuffie. "Who the _hell_ taught you how to drive?" They spoke in unison, Zack still scared shitless and Cloud trying hard not to jump out the window as the raven-haired girl laughed at their expressions. "Oh come on!" she replied, wiping the tears from her eyes,"It wasn't _that _bad! You're overreacting."

The blonde opened his mouth to reply when the school came into view. A few students still lingered outside which meant the bell had not yet rung. Yuffie found a spot close to the entrance and parked the car, hiding her displeasure as the two teens exited like bats out of hell. She huffed angrily as she locked the door and slipped the key into her pocket. They headed towards the school's Large granite fountain, which was their usual meeting spot. A few of their friends were already there, the infamous redhead being the first to spot them.

"Oi! You guys!" Reno yelled, causing the others to look over in their direction.

"Reno~!" Yuffie replied in a singsong voice as she did a running start before jumping into his arms, her legs wrapping around his slim waist, and latching her mouth onto his. Cloud looked on in indifference as he and Zack approached the rest of the gang. They all were very used to the loud couple's public displays of affection and had learned to ignore them. Honestly, no one knew how those two even became a pair, but they weren't judging. If the two craziest people in school wanted to date, let them. Well, as long as they didn't produce sugar-driven offspring from hell.

"Hey guys", Cloud greeted, dropping his bag near the fountain. Elena, Tifa, and Vincent returned his greeting while Rude and Sephiroth only grunted in response before returning to their silent muttering. Cloud took a seat near Vincent, Zack right beside him, and sighed. He looked up at the sky, watching small birds fly by every now and then as his friends conversed around him. "So Zack, any news from Aerith?" Tifa asked suddenly, smiling, "It's been a while since her last letter, right?"

"Yeah. Actually, she called me not to long ago." He replied, brightening up at the mention of his girlfriend's name.

Cloud winced as Zack began to talk about the recent conversation that he had had with the brunette. Knowing that this would be the main topic for a while, he pulled out his iPod and began listening to his playlist, blocking out the conversation entirely when even Elena began to join in. To be truthful, the blonde envied Aerith. She who was able to capture Zack's heart so easily, even though Cloud had known him longer than she did. He hated yet loved the brunette. A never ending cycle that left his heart clenching in guilt and sadness many times over. He remembered the summer nights of Aerith's visits, when she requested some private time for her and Zack, which the others happily obliged, dragging Cloud out to bars with them to keep him distracted. On days like those, the blonde had picked up a sorrowful yet comforting routine. He would drink with the others, return home by himself, and lie in bed as the heartbreaking sounds of his choked off sobs filled the room. He eventually began to collect himself a few bed partners to relieve his aching heart, if only for a little while.

Zack used to often questioned him on this, but the blonde had feigned ignorance leaving the raven-haired teen to drop the matter all together. He was pulled from his painful recollection when Yuffie yanked the earphones from his ears, stating that the blonde should be helping with the planning. He blinked, noticing Zack staring at him in concern, and smiled before nodding. They spent the last few minutes of their free time scheduling the perfect time to show up, who was riding with who (Cloud winding up with Yuffie, Elena, and Zack), and who would be the designated driver, when the bell rang signaling to the students that they should hurry to class. Their group dispersed, Reno and Yuffie performing a "see you later" lip-locking for all to see, as everyone headed off to their morning classes.

* * *

Cloud began to doodle in his notebook as their mythology teacher, Professor Bugenhagen, began his usual rant on the beginning of the universe, which bored the blonde to no end. He glanced over at Zack who was listening intently as he quickly scribbled down notes. Sometimes he found it hard to believe that the aloof, raven-haired teen could be so serious when it came to work. Cloud wondered if it was Angeal's influence on him that made him act in such a way. He watched his childhood friend as his lips pursed and his eyes narrowed in concentration, a stray lock of hair falling into his sky-blue eyes. Cloud smiled as that familiar look brought back pleasant memories of when they were kids. Zack would always make that same look when he was trying to create a perfect flower crown of pink Lilies.

_A crown that he always gave to Aerith,_ a small voice whispered from the back of his mind.

He frowned, as the unwanted memories began to accompany that small voice. Zack giving the finished flower crown to Aerith with his lopsided grin in place, Aerith blushing a hue that matched the flowers perfectly as she softly smiled in thanks to the raven-haired boy, and finally Cloud standing off to the side, feeling like a third wheel.

_A third wheel that didn't belong, _the voice whispered bitterly.

_SNAP!_

Cloud sighed as he watched the broken lead roll off the desk before falling to hit the floor. He pressed the small button on his mechanical pencil until he got the length of lead he wanted and resumed his doodling. He could almost hear that little voice chuckle at his reaction. He was acting too emotional again. It was already good enough that the raven-haired teen was his friend and he wasn't going to push his luck anytime soon either. The blonde breifly glanced over at Zack again. The teen was looking at him, a slim black eyebrow raised in question. Cloud felt his shoulders tense in surprise and he turned away from him, suddenly more interested in Professor Bugenhagen's speech, which had veered towards the topic of the lifestream somehow. A small piece of folded paper landed on his desk which he opened quickly, his eyes occassionally darting to the teacher.

_Are you okay?_

The blonde reread the single sentence Zack had written, happy that the raven-haired teen was worried about him. He scribbled down a reply and refolded the paper before throwing it back at the other, chuckling when it became lodged in his wild black spikes. Zack playfully glared at him as he pulled the note from his hair and opened it.

_I'm fine. Just a little tired._

Cloud watched him scribble something down before passing it to him again.

_Is it about this morning?_

Cloud's eye twitched in annoyance as he remembered that morning's events. He was right about Zack's low blood pressure, but he didn't expect the teen to be so groggy as to walk in on him while he was showering. The raven-haired teen had just stood there, staring, before cloud threw the soapdish at him, yelling at him to get out. He mentally kicked himself when an image of the raven-haired teen's well toned chest flashed through his mind. He scribbled down his reply furiously and threw it back, disappointed when it didn't hit him in the eye. Zack unfolded and read the paper.

_No. But thanks for reminding me you perverted ass._

Cloud heard the teen chuckle and he smiled to himself. His bad morning was starting to make a turn for the better.


	4. Not as Clueless as she looks

**A/N:** Haven't updated in quite a while. Probably a lot of miffed readers out there. To be honest, life in general has been bringing me down big time. Ugh! I'm a senior now which means my workload, stress levels, and urge to procrastinate will only increase. But I will continue on! (Insert dramatic music here) Anyway, in light of the situation, I have made this chapter longer than my previous ones. For those of you still reading the story of this humble me, I thank you and am sorry to have kept you waiting!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters, et cetera et cetera

* * *

By lunch time, Cloud was in a very good mood. He sat at his group's usual table, in his usual spot, between Zack and Elena. He took a bite of his pizza, savoring the melted cheese and spicy sausage as it tingled on his tongue. The blonde could hear Elena talking to Rude about something, her tone a bit hushed. Cait had shown up not too long ago and looked oddly flushed to Cloud. He threw a quick glance at Yuffie who had begun smiling in an inhuman manner when she caught sight of the silver-haired teen.

"Hey Cait," she began, nudging Reno in the ribs. The occupants of the table looked up at the tone in Yuffie's voice. "I was just telling Reno here," she batted her eyes at the red haired teen briefly, "about you and Red's old table."

Cloud watched Cait stiffen and his stormy gray eyes widen in horror and the blonde couldn't help but feel sorry for the teen. It was common knowledge that Yuffie was a gossip queen and once she got a hold of even the slightest bit of news, she'd want the whole group to know. The raven haired girl sometimes overstepped her boundaries, though, and when that happened, Reno's rare moments of maturity shined through, saving her unfortunate victims from a lifetime's worth of embarrassment. Even now, though he was smiling, Reno's eyes were carefully watching his crazed teen sweetheart. "It's very old isn't it?" She pressed on, pointedly ignoring her red-headed lover's look, "I mean it appears as if it could collapse at any moment! It would be sad if Red's poor little kitty got frightened from the table giving out under their combined weight, right?" At this, Yuffie grinned devilishly, her hands clasped in restrained glee.

The table became quiet suddenly as all eyes fell upon the distraught teen who, during Yuffie's speech of false worry and "subtle" hinting, had become an unusual shade of scarlet. He began to squirm under the pairs of eyes that watched him in both pity and curiosity. Cait had been put on the spot and Cloud was sure the boy wanted nothing more than to drown himself in the school fountain just to escape the growing curiosity of their friends.

"You guys have a cat?" Zack stared at Cait in confusion, his head tilted slightly, "I didn't see a cat when we went to your apartment earlier…"

A collective roar of laughter travelled around the table and Cloud could not help but to shake his head at the older teen's child like mindset. Zack only looked around the table, entirely confused and a bit put off by the reaction to his comment.

"Honestly, Zack…." Cloud stated with a sigh and shook his head at the raven haired teen. He looked around the table before setting his eyes on the young blonde and, with a grin, winked at said blonde before turning to answer Elena's question relating to his brain capacity. Cloud only stared at the teen with a smile of his own. He glanced at Cait, who was slowly gaining his original coloring, and then at Yuffie, who looked disappointed at being interrupted. Reno merely smiled while petting his pouting girlfriend.

"You sly dog…" Cloud muttered as he turned back towards Zack.

"So are you guys ready for tomorrow?" Tifa pushed her lunch aside, "I've already picked out the cutest outfit to wear!"

"Crap!" Yuffie cried ruffling her hair, "I haven't even gone through any of the new clothes I bought yesterday!"

"What's the big deal?" Zack turned towards the panicking brunette in genuine confusion, "Can't you just throw something together? It can't be that hard."

"That's because you're a GUY, Zack! You men don't know what we women go through to look presentable in public!"

"Oh c'mon! How hard is it to get dressed?"

"It's actually pretty hard, Zack" Elena replied, "There's the shower, the outfit, and the hair."

"Not to mention the makeup, the jewelry, the handbag, and umm…." Tifa trailed off running through the list in her mind.

"The shoes, of course!" Yuffie joined in, no longer sulking, "But that's not the point! The point is I still don't have an outfit for tomorrow! Cloud! You're helping me pick out an outfit after school today!"

"What?" The blonde's eyes widened in surprise, "Why me?"

"Well, why not? Rude and Reno have a project to do for Professor Tseng, I would be a suicidal maniac to even try asking Sephiroth and Vincent, and Zack, Elena, and Tifa all have to work overtime tonight to get tomorrow off! And what are YOU doing tonight?"

"Nothing, I guess" Cloud sighed in defeat. He could argue that Cait wasn't doing anything either, but he didn't want to throw the younger teen under the bus like that.

"That's what I thought! Oh! Speaking of which..." Yuffie turned towards Tifa and Elena with her hands on her hips, "You two owe me one of those specialty shakes from Starbucks!"

* * *

"How 'bout this one?" Yuffie twirled on her heel, the thin fabric of the yellow dress she wore twisting and flaring with her movements. Cloud frowned as he looked the petite girl over before shaking his head.

"Too much of a 'teenage virgin' vibe." He replied looking back down at the magazine he had been flipping through.

"Well isn't that alright then? The youthful and innocent look is what I'm going for here!" The brunette huffed, placing hands on her hips, "I mean c'mon, I'm not getting any younger here!"

"Okay, youthful I get, but innocent? When were you ever innocent?" Cloud turned from an article on healhty eating when his question went unanswered. Yuffie had her arms crossed and her brow furrowed in deep thought. The blonde stared at her in shock, "Are you actually _thinking_ about it?"

"Well it's hard to remember my young days of purity, alright!" She threw up her hands and returned to her closet, the sound of a zipper indicating that she was changing into her next outfit.

"Days of purity? The first time I met you in Midgar Elementary, you were trying to force yourself on Vincent!" Cloud laughed at the memory, "The poor guy skipped the first month of school because of you! The only reason he came back was because Cid convinced him."

"Oh yeah! I remember that!" The brunette reemerged wearing a pair of green cargo capris with a yellow crop top. Cloud shook his head and gave a thumbs down and she returned to the closet. "He was so cute back then with his big eyes and long hair, and that red scarf he always wore to hide his little mouth! I wanted to make him cry so badly..."

"You know you're reinforcing my belief of you being a closet sadist, right?"

"I try. Speaking of which...didn't Aerith join our group around that time? I remember, you know! You and Zack had skipped out on school to go nap in that old church and she found you two all cuddled up like lovers!" She laughed as she pulled a pair of skinny jeans from a hanger. Cloud's sudden silence made her peek out of the closet. The blonde had stopped flipping through pages and sat with a somewhat conflicted expression on his face.

"Yeah, she did. I'd almost forgotten about that." The brunette looked at her childhood friend for a moment and, with a sigh, moved to sit next to him on her bed.

"Hey, Cloud?" He looked at her questioningly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Do you love Zack?" She watched him to gauge his reaction. Just as she had suspected, the blonde's body tensed at the question, "Is that why you don't write Aerith letters anymore? Because her and Zack are together?"

"How'd you-"

"Zack told me that, when he and Aerith talk about you, Aerith mentions her concern over the fact that you don't call or send her letters anymore. I'm not clueless Cloud. I know when one of our friends isn't acting like normal." When the blonde didn't answer, she ran a hand through her raven locks and sighed. "I understand that you don't want to ruin your current relationship with Zack, but don't make him worry so much! We all know that, besides Aerith, Your'e the only one he'll turn into a big marshmallow for. A big, gooey blob of concern, worry and those damn puppy eyes!"

Cloud blinked as he watched the goosebumps rise on his friends bare arms and her eye begin to twitch. Yuffie hated being confronted by oversized guy who used the 'I'm cuter than you' expression and Zack's puppy eyes were the epitome of her nightmares.

"Anyway!" Yuffie jumped up from the bed and headed back into the closet. "Try and let loose a little tomorrow! Have some drinks, do a little dancing, et cetera."

She came out wearing the skinny jeans she pulled from the hanger and a sleeveless, yellow blouse that exposed her navel.

"Yuffie, why are your outfits always so...outgoing?" Cloud asked, glad that the serious atmosphere had dissipated.

"They have to be, my dear Cloud! Tifa's got me beat with her enormous breasts and Elena with her long legs, so I have to show off my greatest asset as well! My bottle-like curves and cute butt!"

"Uh-huh...well it looks good!" Yuffie squealed and moved on to picking out accessories and shoes for her outfit.

* * *

It had become dark by the time Yuffie dropped Cloud off at his house before peeling out of the driveway like a madwoman. The blonde, after praying for the safety of unfortunate drivers on the same road as the crazed brunette, headed into his home. The usual music and laughter poured from the living room, so that's where the blonde headed first, dropping his schoolbag by the stairs as he went. He ducked his head in to tell his parents he was home, but stopped short at the two familiar faces sitting acorss from his parents.

"Oh my! If it isn't Cloud!" A small brunette smiled over at him, her bright blue eyes crinkling at the corners. A large, fair haired man sat beside her, unsmiling but not unkind. He nodded in Cloud's direction.

"Aunt Nadia? Uncle Caden? What are you guys doing here?" Cloud was shocked at their presence. They were supposed to be in Nibleheim taking care of his little cousins, Skye and Keith.

"Is that the first thing you say, after all these years we haven't seen each other? I was expecting a warmer welcome from you, Cloudie!" Nadia made an expression of mock horror as she said this.

"Well I expected no less. We _did_ show up unannounced, Nadia" Her husband replied. Though his face held no expression, his tone was that of mild amusement. "What I don't understand is how your sister wasn't even fazed when we showed up."

"One of the many mysteries of the Strife family" Cloud's mom replied, smiling.

"Um..." The teen began looking from his aunt and uncle to his parents.

"Oh look at us! We're leaving Cloud looking confused!" Nadia chuckled "We haven't even told him why we're here."

"You're right, of course!" Mr. Strife turned to the teen, "Actually, Cloud, your aunt and uncle have decided to move here with Skye and Keith. They've already purchased a house just two doors down."

"You mean the victorian styled one?" The blonde asked curiously.

"Yep!" Nadia smiled broadly at him while Caden nodded breifly, "It'll be nice for the boys to be living next to relatives in an unfamiliar city, so we decided to drop by to inform my dear sister of our plans."

"Oh! Speaking of the boys, how are they? Still as rowdy as before?" Mrs. Strife asked.

"Actually they've mellowed out since you last saw them."

As the conversation trailed off onto the topic of his younger cousins, Cloud excused himself. He grabbed his bag and ascended the stairs to his room. He had to finish his homework and get a shower out of the way before bed. He could her the loud laughter of his father before his room door shut behind him, muffling out the sounds of everything downstairs. The teen threw his bag on his bed, the blue comforter sinking under the weight of his textbooks, and pulled out his homework for the day.

Halfway through his assignment on the mythology of ancients, Cloud's cellphone let out a shrill ringing that filled the silence of his room. Looking at the caller ID with a smile, the teen flipped the phone open. "Hey..."

"_Hey, Spike_!" He leaned back in his chair at Zack's usual over excited tone and sighed.

"I thought you had to work overtime."

_"I do! I'm on break right now!"_

"Really..."

_"Yeah. Jaime forgot the boss switched around the shifts and came in today, so I figured the more the better! Besides there's a swarm of customers tonight. Probably because of the new guy..."_

"New guy?"

_"Yep! He's a high schooler, but he's about my size so the boss let's him work here. He's popular with the male **and** female clients. Closing in on number one too."_

"Huh, sounds like he's a real looker..." Cloud replied, doodling on his assignment paper. Zack worked at a popular cafe that doubled as a nightly host cub, tough he never worked in the front unless it was necessary. He mainly cooked in the kitchen and helped with cleanup after closing, mostly because Angeal refused to have his nephew ogled by the customers. Cloud remembered the time Zack treated him and Angeal at the cafe on his day off. The man had caught the eye of Zack's boss and, during the whole meal, was stuck to him like cling wrap. Cloud chuckled at the memory.

_"What's so funny?"_

"Nothing, I just remembered something interesting."

_"Care to share?"_

"Not really..."

"_Aww c'mon Coudie!" _

"Not telling."

_"Tch! Stingy!" _The blonde couldn't help but smile to himself at the brunette's childishness. Cloud could hear voices in the background to which Zack answered with a bark of laughter. "_Hey Spike?"_

"What's up?"

"_My break just got cut short, on account of the fact that Jaime just clocked a customer."_

"What lit his fuse this time?"

_"The customer felt him up in front of the poor guy's crush."_

_"_Oh geez, that's not good." Cloud heard another amused shout of Zack's name in the background.

"_I'm coming! Hold him down! See you tomorrow?"_

"Yeah, see you."

The blonde closed his phone with a smile and refocused on his homework. If he wanted to free up his weekend, he had to finish the last of his assignments.

* * *

**A/N: **Done! Again sorry for such a long wait everyone! R&R please! It helps stir my creative juices!


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